Williams out to prove Austin wrong
REGINA — Rey Williams is in his happy place.
The veteran middle linebacker is pleased to be playing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, with whom he started his CFL career in 2007. He remained with the team until after the 2009 season when Williams signed with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. A knee injury in a 2010 pre-season game ended Williams’ dream of playing in the NFL. He returned to the CFL in 2011 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Williams spent two all-star seasons with the Tiger-Cats before being released during the off-season. He signed with the Riders and will play his former team for the first time on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.
“I was probably more excited to come back here than I was to play with Hamilton because it was Regina and Saskatchewan,” Williams said in advance of Sunday’s game. “This place is unbelievable to play even if you’re not from here. Away games are fun ones to play. Hamilton is just another team and we’re just trying to get better.”
Williams appreciated all that the Hamilton organization did for him, including paying him well. However, he still remains bitter about the manner in which his release was handled by Kent Austin, the head coach and general manager of the Tiger-Cats.
Williams was unhappy with the timing of his release, which took place two weeks after the CFL’s freeagent deadline. He was also unhappy that Austin didn’t talk to him directly after cutting him.
“Kent isn’t my favourite guy and everyone who knows me now knows that I don’t respect him,” Williams said. “As a coach and someone who had actually played the game … I was captain there for two years and I led the team in tackles. I also played for the guy (in 2007).
“I could care less about him. I want to make him look bad and I will do everything in my power to shut down their offence.”
Williams has expressed his feelings about Austin — who guided the Riders to Grey Cup victories in 1989 as a quarterback and as a head coach in 2007 — multiple times since being released.
Austin was asked for his thoughts on Williams’ comments while addressing the media on Friday.
“I’m not going to speak on Rey’s feelings,” Austin told Drew Edwards of the Hamilton Spectator. “He’s entitled to his opinion and I respect that. I’m focused on our guys.”
Williams found a bright side to the talk when asked what he might do if he met up with Austin on Sunday.
“I should probably hug him because I’m back in Saskatchewan where I wanted to be,” he said. “Everything worked out the way it should have.”
The signing of Williams has worked out for Riders, who released Joe Lobendahn to create space for him. Williams leads the Riders with 14 defensive tackles and three sacks. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in the Riders’ 39-18 season-opening win over the host Edmonton Eskimos.
“He’s learning where he fits into this scheme and he’s playing at a high level,” said Riders head coach Corey Chamblin.
Williams said the defensive scheme is the reason he’s doing so well early in the season.
“I have a lot of competent guys in front of me and behind me,” he said. “They are just doing their jobs and I’m just happy to be the recipient of that. The guys up front are doing a great job of keeping guys off of me. When nobody is blocking me, you’re supposed to make plays.”
Guard Brendon LaBatte matched up against Williams numerous times since being selected in the first round of the 2008 CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. That rivalry continued in 2012 when LaBatte signed with the Riders as a free agent and played against Williams.
This season, LaBatte finds himself on the same team and going against Williams every day in practice.
“One of the biggest things about playing against Rey in the past was how physical he was,” LaBatte said. “There are some guys you can get your hands on and move them around. When you try to do that with Rey, he hits you with a pretty good shot. He creates that separation and that’s one of the things he does really well.
“He’s the leader of our defence. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen at communicating information to the defence when the play is building up.”